White House encourages Americans to get new COVID boosters

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The White House urged Americans Monday to get updated COVID-19 booster shots when they become available next month as the country faces a new wave of infections from the Eris subvariant.

"We believe that we're prepared for the fall. We believe that we're in a better position than we've ever been to combat COVID-19. And that's because of the work that the president has done," spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters ahead of the typical US cold and flu season.

"Vaccinations against COVID-19 remain the safest protection for avoiding hospitalization, long-term health outcomes and death, which is why we are we are going to be encouraging Americans to stay up to date on their vaccines," she added.

The new boosters are expected to become available in mid-September.

COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths have jumped by over 20% each in August, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Eris, yet another Omicron subvariant, now accounts for about 20% of all confirmed COVID-19 infections, making it the dominant strain circulating in the US.